-il CesareSole Absolute Triple
Exalted High Tastemaster Supreme
“In the entire world there are only a few sounds that bring joy to all but the most jaded. One is the murmur of a kitten purring. Another is the thwack of a well-pitched baseball hitting a perfectly swung bat. And the third is the pop of a cork being pulled from a bottle of wine.” —George Taber

stillmanbrown

stillmanbrown

Single vineyard, westside Paso. Percentages are approximate, but not too far off. The Tempranillo hill is almost too steep to walk up. Drinking window depends on cellar temperature. No, I will not be here all night, but I can read Sherman's Memoirs on Kindle and check back every few minutes.
Great book, but the Civil War hasn't started yet.

stillmanbrown

It's been surprisingly cool - we didn't get the rain (or the shakes) they got up north, but there have been few hot days. That said, it really IS early - likely to pick the first reds this weekend! (this is westside Paso, Adelaida/Willow Creek area.)

MarkDaSpark

On his way to torment poor Dorothy and Toto (and probably shaken up by the Napa earthquake), a flying monkey accidentally dropped a package by me. Luckily it didn't break like some hearts in Napa recently. And I let it rest for a few days, in case it had some bottle shock when dropped from that height.

Surprise, surprise, it was a bottle of Swilly's latest swill, aka Red Zeppelin Tempranillo-Tannat-Syrah blend. Looking forward to the backbone that Tannat and Syrah will put into it.

On popping, it had nice red fruit aromas (cherry, plum) along with hints of tomato, tobacco, & leather. I had chilled it, and let it bottle rest (opened bottle, sniffed, and re-corked it for an hour).

Nice deep red color, and swirls nicely. Drinking nicely after 1 hr (technically 1st hour alone in the bottle, then poured after that) for the first glass, and even better after the 2nd hour (for the 2nd glass)!

Smooth, and not as many tannins as one might expect from the Tannat & Syrah blended in. Not the big mouth-pucker tannins, but more smooth.

Nothing like swirling it too much (such that a nice 1 inch blob of red wine is on my shirt now). Mourning more for the wine than the shirt. Wonder if sucking on it would work?

More tomorrow, since I left half in the bottle for then. It'll be early, since I have a 5:30 engagement.

In for 2 sets!!! (So much for holding off on buying!)

Darn you WineDavid for putting Stillman up again!

x20

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

garyzim

No Sir. Oh but how I wish I was. Was there first week in August when I unsuccessfully fought the new bus stop they are placing in front of my house. sigh. I could have used the Colossus then. But I had bought two, which you kindly delivered, waited a bit and drank one, but have been saving the other, that first was such an - oenorgasmic experience. I only resisted this long by hiding it away.
Hoping to be back before Thanksgiving, my next "reserved" date.

PetiteSirah

Last week, a bottle of Swillman's wine with a dirigible on the label showed up at my house. Clearly, somebody had to take one for the team and try it, so I did so.

-- nose -- cranberry pie filling (extraction and red fruit acidity/sharpness), rhubarb, a hint of mint or something herbal - wintergreen?
-- grip, and acid. a bit of heat.
-- good fruit extraction, cranberry and rhubarb joined by some tart-ish cherry pie filling but balanced by the grip and acidity. Mouthwatering and juicy. The fruit recedes just before it becomes overwhelming; it's a bit of a headfake, seeming like it's going to go over the top but the flavor wave breaks first. That, combined with the grip, might be why I'm getting so much cranberry -- it has the same sort of zing and transition as even sweetened cranberry juice does.
-- tannins are there, but soft, well-integrated. Not over-oaked.
-- long finish (25-30 seconds, mostly in the front of the mouth)

In sum, it's some pretty tasty swill. Not a lot of wines like it out there, and definitely worth buying. Enough fruit to drink on its own, and enough structure to pair with food -- I'm thinking a roasted pork dish, or something covered in bacon.

stillmanbrown

PetiteSirah wrote:Last week, a bottle of Swillman's wine with a dirigible on the label showed up at my house. Clearly, somebody had to take one for the team and try it, so I did so.

-- nose -- cranberry pie filling (extraction and red fruit acidity/sharpness), rhubarb, a hint of mint or something herbal - wintergreen?
-- grip, and acid. a bit of heat.
-- good fruit extraction, cranberry and rhubarb joined by some tart-ish cherry pie filling but balanced by the grip and acidity. Mouthwatering and juicy. The fruit recedes just before it becomes overwhelming; it's a bit of a headfake, seeming like it's going to go over the top but the flavor wave breaks first. That, combined with the grip, might be why I'm getting so much cranberry -- it has the same sort of zing and transition as even sweetened cranberry juice does.
-- tannins are there, but soft, well-integrated. Not over-oaked.
-- long finish (25-30 seconds, mostly in the front of the mouth)

In sum, it's some pretty tasty swill. Not a lot of wines like it out there, and definitely worth buying. Enough fruit to drink on its own, and enough structure to pair with food -- I'm thinking a roasted pork dish, or something covered in bacon.

gak0090

I love jumping in and just making a complete off the wall comment about something I know nothing about. I just like to see who's paying attention and if anyone actually takes it seriously. The only Zeppelin I know anything about is Led Zeppelin.

One thing to remember is the Mogan David is available in the economy size with a very practical twist on cap, instead of those damn annoying corks!

ddeuddeg

And what would a nice Jewish boy know about those things? Seriously, though, nice to hear from you. It's been a while.

Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge. - Hester Browne
Filmmaker/winemaker Francis Ford Coppola says his two professions are almost the same and that each depends on source material and takes a lot of time to perfect.
The big difference: "Today's winemakers still worry about quality."

MarkDaSpark

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

MarkDaSpark

gak0090 wrote:I love jumping in and just making a complete off the wall comment about something I know nothing about. I just like to see who's paying attention and if anyone actually takes it seriously. The only Zeppelin I know anything about is Led Zeppelin.

One thing to remember is the Mogan David is available in the economy size with a very practical twist on cap, instead of those damn annoying corks!

Mogen .. it's even in the picture.

And I bet you still use a corkscrew to open it, don't you?

x20

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

gak0090

Only if I'm trying to impress. Sometimes I like to aerate the wine properly, so basically I puncture the twist cap with the cork screw and shake the bottle vigorously so that I can properly aerate each precious drop. It will make a $5.99 bottle of Mogen David taste just like a bottle of Château La Mondotte Saint Emilion 1996- you should try it sometime.

MarkDaSpark

jmdavidson wrote:Come to the Chicago Wine & Appetizer party on September 12th and I promise to open up any PS I have on hand.

The cake is a lie!!!

x20

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

So happy I went in on 2 sets, but almost wishing I'd gone for 3 ... but alas, there's no room. Must make room by drinking wine this weekend!

x20

Someone has to put WD's kids thru college, but why does it have to be me! *This post is for purposes of enabling only, and does not constitute any promise of helping pay for said enabling. It does indicate willingness to assist in drinking said wine.

cortot20

Info post:
All tasting notes for this wine have been cross posted into CT under user name wine.woot_taster. User names have been removed to protect the guilty. PM me if you want your tasting note removed or user name added back.

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